Jem and Jane

We waffed into Zeski harbour and promptly ran aground! The Kapitanat shouted instructions from the dock in Polish and German. The one thing Artur had not told us was how to raise the keel. "It must be that blue rope". So we safely made it into dock and my pulse started to soften.We had come to the Great Masurian Lakes in Poland's North East to try something different and were discovering the local sailing methods for the first time. This was part of a two week holiday from our UK jobs and I would not normally write about such a short trip. The Masurian Lakes and the relaxing sailing they offer deserve to be better known in Western Europe and there is little information to help you on the web.Obviously the area is well known in ... read more

Wairarapa June 21 2015 The travelling really stopped in Darwin. Sydney was better than we expected and now we are in New Zealand we are on familiar territory. This our fifth visit in the twenty five years Jane's sister Rachel has been living here. A major highlight of any visit to New Zealand is just to come out and experience rural life in the Wairarapa which is so very different from anywhere in the South East of England and most of Europe. This time we were able to share it for a few days with our new travel buddies, Emma and Moos. Travelling has always been for me about who you meet and sharing experiences rather than looking at inanimate objects, no matter how old and incredible. So it was great that we could link up ... read more

The Northern Territory is really one big open space. If it was a country it would rank 20th in the world and could hold 6 UK's. That is a lot of space for 250,000 people with the majority in the Darwin area. Unique in Australia 30% of the population is indigenous. (Sydney was such a dramatic contrast: in four days we only saw one small group of indigenous people the whole time.) Hence if you have access to a car Darwin makes a great place to find out more about the 20,000 year old Aboriginal culture especially in the 'Top End', the so called Northern part of NT. There are several National Parks around Darwin many on indigenous land that they have leased back to the authorities. The first one we visited was Litchfield NP ninety ... read more

The boat powered down the surf in the middle of Darwin harbour. As it hit the wave in front a great sheet of water enveloped the boat and soaked Tommy, Jane and I from head to toe. Tommy held tight to the steering wheel with the two fingers and thumb left on his left hand and to keep us on course. He had lost the other two fingers to a crocodile twelve years ago. At this point Tommy decided we would not check the crocodile traps on the far side of Darwin Harbour. We were mid channel with Darwin city to our East. It was blowing a 'hoolie', at least a 5, Tommy headed for the West arm harbour branches where there was more shelter. Tommy is a real celebrity in these parts. As the leader ... read more

In Indonesia it is as if everyone smiles...and in West Timor laughs and waves. If you are in a car it is like being the Queen. As you drive pass everyone, yes literally everyone, who sees you are a Westerner, smile and wave and shout 'How are you, mister'. 'Leko-leko' I learnt to reply in the local Dawan ('I'm fine') as I smiled and waved back. A smile goes a long way when there is no common language. The Timor smile. Think Batman's Joker on a good day. To travel Timor you have to have to accept that most locals will chew the ubiquitous betel nut. This leaves their teeth, lips and gums stained red (black in places) and the streets sprayed with red spit. It is completely a way of life in Central West Timor ... read more